


Seasonal Love

by EliDeetz



Series: SPN Fluff Bingo 2018 [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bickering angels, F/M, Florist AU, Fluff, Light Angst, Meaningful Flowers, Mild Language, SPN Fluff Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 17:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13792878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EliDeetz/pseuds/EliDeetz
Summary: Written for SPN Fluff Bingo.Square filled: Florist AU





	Seasonal Love

****Autumn had just arrived. Baby’s breath, carnations and Asian lilies would be on bloom, just in time for early autumn wedding season.

Gabriel’s favorite flowers would soon wilt, and he would have to wait a whole year for them to come back. As an archangel, he could simply keep them living, but his father had taught him the importance of things dying.

Being what he was, it was particularly hard to understand why would his father create such beautiful things for them to die. But after living on earth among humans for so long, he’d grown to accept it.

With the wilt and bloom of many flowers, autumn also brought back many memories for him. Gabriel couldn’t help spacing out as he arranged a few simple rose bouquets.

He once was one of the main, most dangerous weapons of heaven, and after his family fell apart, he ran away to pretend to be a God/Trickster. Neither ever made him truly happy, and he never saw it until he settled for the life he had at the moment.

The first time he stepped into the shop it was 1924, and he was looking for a calm place to be, away from the noise. The day was cloudy, and he was tiredly walking down the street.

Somewhere near he heard a vase break against the floor, and the rattle of a wooden shelf. Once he located where the mess came from, he ran inside to find a rather old man, struggling to pick up the broken glass from the floor.

He was so distracted by the mess, he didn’t noticed the shelf above him about to fall over his head. With a swift movement, the golden-eyed archangel moved the old man fast enough to avoid an accident.

Gabriel would soon learn he was the owner of the flower shop, and the only person working there.

After that day, he found himself going back to it, just to make sure the man would be safe. Before he knew it, he was helping him around, cleaning the place, picking up heavy loads. Soon enough he was making arrangements himself, with the guidance and suggestions of the owner, of course.

Seven years later, the man passed away, unsurprisingly leaving the shop in Gabriel’s name.

He had the option to sell the place, or hire someone else to take care of it. But it simply didn’t seem right, he loved the smell of the flowers, and the peace and quiet of the business.

Time went by, and over 90 years later, his two younger brothers, Balthazar and Castiel, joined him after running away from heaven as well. They knew no one would bother them, as long as nobody messed with the world.

So much time had passed, yet it didn’t feel like it at all. He figured waiting less than a year for his flowers would be nothing. At the end, the wait was always worth it.

“Where should I put these?” Castiel’s anxious voice snapped him out of his trance, and he turned around to meet his brother, who held two pots of chrysanthemums.  

He chuckled at his nervousness, since it was the first time Castiel would work at the front by his side. It was normally Balthazar who’d be there, but he volunteered to deliver flowers for a wedding. With the intentions of meeting a girl or two in the process.

“We always put them in the front, bud. There’s a bunch of them already there.” He tilted his head towards the entrance, a mocking smirk never leaving his face.

His brother simply nodded in response, and almost marched to where he’d told him to. Gabriel couldn’t help laughing again, considering Castiel was one of the youngest brothers, and Michael had shaped him to be a soldier.

He figured a couple more years on earth would help him loosen up, or perhaps meeting more humans. Which hardly happened, since Castiel preferred working on the back by himself.

The bell from the entrance door rang, and Gabriel moved his attention from the bouquet in his hands to the client.

You immediately scanned around the shop, brows furrowing as you seemingly struggled to find what you wanted. Hesitantly, you approached Castiel, and gently tapped him on the shoulder.

“Excuse me, sir?”

For some reason, his amber eyes remained glued to you. There was an energy and light emanating from you that he simply couldn’t ignore. Instead of immediately jumping in, he figured he would let Castiel handle it.

“Y-yes?” He replied nervously, cleaning his hands on his green apron, and placing them stiffly at his sides. “Can I be of assistance to you?”

“I’m hoping you can, you see I’m trying to find peonies,” you explained with a soft smile.

“Peonies? I’m afraid you won’t find them anywhere, ma’am.” He immediately replied, and Gabriel couldn’t help noticing the faltering of your smile and overall posture. “They’re currently out of season.”

“Oh.” Was all you said, pursing your lips in disappointment. “Well, thanks –”

“Wait!” Gabriel finally chimed, quickly approaching you before you could even move an inch.

What he felt and saw in you when you arrived, was much more overwhelming up close. He had to slightly shake his head, to try and focus on what he was going to say before actually speaking.

“Good afternoon. Sorry but, I’m the owner, and I couldn’t help listening you were looking for a flower in particular?” He played dumb, not that he needed, considering how much you were sincerely distracting him.

“Ah, I was looking for peonies. My mom really loves those,” you said, locking eyes with him.

You smiled sadly at him, which happened to tug a string he didn’t know he had. “They are lovely flowers. Please follow me, I can help you with what you need,” he assured.

“But, your coworker already let me know they’re out of season.” Despite your words, you followed behind, leaving a much confused Castiel standing still next to the chrysanthemums.

Gabriel walked behind the counter, and pulled a rather large inventory book, mostly for showing. He was aware there weren’t any peonies left, but he wasn’t willing to let you go empty handed.

“Yeah, he’s not my coworker, he’s my brother,” he clarified with a disarming smile, as he pretended to check the inventory. “It’s his first day, so he doesn’t know a lot yet.”

He could feel Castiel’s blue eyes boring into him, upset he would diminish his knowledge.

“Oh, well it made sense since I’ve been to several places and none of them had peonies,” you mentioned matter-of-factly, fidgeting with the strap of your purse. “But I couldn’t stop trying.”

Gabriel raised his gaze from the book to you, once again noticing the change of tone in your voice. “Is it her birthday?” He inquired, hoping you wouldn’t mind him being nosy.

Once again, a tight and sad smile pulled your lips before replying, “No, she – she’s in the hospital. She’s sick.”

The archangel’s lips formed a small “o”, as he tried his best to say something. Nothing particularly encouraging, or special came out, so he decided to settle for doing what he knew best.

“I’m sorry about your mom,” he said sincerely, closing the book and smiling softly at you. “Give me a moment, I’ll be right back.”

He turned on his heel and walked into the back. Castiel was right, there weren’t any peonies left, nor they would be until next spring. But he still had some that had dried a couple days ago, and with a snap of his fingers, they were fresh and brand new.

Before he went back, he looked around for something else, and quickly snapped it in his hand.

“Here they are,” he announced proudly, offering you the small peony arrangement. “I knew we still had left somewhere,” Gabriel lied, smiling more widely at your excitement.

“Oh God, thank you so much!” You chirped, taking the flowers up to your face and taking their scent it. “I’m really grateful, uh –” Your eyes scanned his chest for a name tag, but there wasn’t one.

“Gabriel, my name is Gabriel.” He held his free hand for you to shake it, while holding something behind his back with the other one.

“Thank you, Gabriel.” He felt a tightness in his stomach when you said his name, only making him smile brighter at you. “How much will it be?” You asked, holding his hand for a bit too long.

“24.99, I’m giving you a discount since those were the last we had. Almost scraps, you know.” Lying always came fairly easy for him, and no matter how much time passed, Castiel would always judge him for it.

Just like he was doing as he observed your interaction.

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” You asked as you paid, his infectious smile taking its toll on you.

“Nonsense,” he quickly said, giving you back your change with a wink.

You held eye contact with him for a moment, trying your best to keep your smile as soft as possible. Without either of you noticing, Castiel approached and stood next to his brother, eyeing you curiously.

“W-well, I better go.” You finally said, looking back and forth between the brothers, and stepping away from the counter. “Thanks again for the flowers, at least I can get her these before there really aren’t any left.”

“Hold up.” Gabriel requested, making you turn back to him. His hand came from behind his back, and held a single rose in front of you. “Here,” he shyly said.

“Oh, it’s beautiful. How much?” You asked, mesmerized by the color of the rose. It was a medium bright pink, and it looked like it’d bloomed that same morning.

“Nothing, it’s a gift, sugar.” Gabriel could feel his confidence coming back to him, relishing on the way your cheeks pinked up at his words. “And please, consider coming back every time you need peonies for your mom. I’ll do my best to get some for you, “ he promised.

A single “thanks” left your lips, and you nodded at his words while you walked away from them, and out from the shop. His golden eyes remained on you, even as you disappeared down the street.

“I thought we didn’t brought flowers back to life, Gabriel.” Castiel’s hoarse voice interrupted his train of thought for a second time in a day.

He glanced to his brother, who stared at him with a puzzled expression on his face. “You gotta learn to make exceptions, lil’ bro. Gotta learn to make exceptions,” he sighed, and went back to work on arranging more flowers.

* * *

 

  
It became usual for you to go to the flower shop, you went every Tuesday and Friday. Gabriel could always feel you walking around the corner, just in time for him to snap the peonies for your mother, and whatever new flower he wanted to give you.

So far, he’d given you pink roses, purple lilacs, daisies, red tulips, sunflowers, and many others that could represent how enchanted he was with you.

You didn’t know the meaning behind them, but he did, and that was enough while his gesture still made you smile. He knew you constantly worried about your mother, and so he did his best to cheer you up.

Winter was coming around, and there wasn’t a single day you’d missed going to the his shop. That morning however, was a Wednesday, and he couldn’t help feeling surprised when you stormed into the store.

“Good morning, love. Can I–” Balthazar immediately approached you, intending to use his charm on you.

“Gabriel, hi!” You didn’t even heard his brother talking to you, there was a red flush on your face and neck Gabriel couldn’t ignore.

“Hey, sweetheart. I wasn’t expecting you today,” he noted, his hands full of white lilies. “Flowers for your mom?”

Without a word, you slapped a fifty dollar bill on the counter, and took a deep breath before replying. “I need something that says _fuck you_ in flower.”

The three brothers working in the shop stood still at your request, Balthazar did his best to keep his laugh silent, and Castiel simply frowned, as he often did. Gabriel on the other hand, kept staring at you dumbfounded, his mouth slightly opened in shock.

He squinted ever so slightly, and placed the lilies on a vase before raising a finger in front of him. “Give me a hot second,” he barely managed to say, immediately running to the back.

The archangel kept smiling to himself as he worked on what you’d requested, thanking the previous owner for his sense of humor and vast knowledge. Fast and beautifully, he arranged a bouquet with geraniums, foxglove, meadowsweet, yellow carnations, and orange lilies.

Proud of his creation, he wrapped them in brown paper and came back to the counter to give it to you. You stared at the arrangement with curious eyes, the various colors bright, beautiful, yet distinctively offsetting.

Your eyes found his amber ones, as he smiled mischievously. “What do they mean?”

“Stupidity, insincerity, uselessness, disappointment and hatred.” He replied almost immediately, taking the money and giving back the change. “Whoever this is meant for, they’ll never know. But it’s still quite strange on the eye.”

The smile on your face was as wide as it could get, and the hearty laugh that left your chest erased any trace of hardness that you carried on your face.

“Thank you, Gabriel. I knew I could count on you,” you said with a breath of relief. “I’ll see you on Friday, okay?”

“Looking forward to it.” He walked you to the front, opening the door for you to leave.

Something foreign fluttered inside his stomach, as he watched you trying to catch the bus. He walked back to the counter, where Balthazar and Castiel were waiting for him.

“I don’t believe that was appropriate,” the black-haired angel reprimanded him.

“Give the client what the client wants.” Gabriel simply retorted, focusing back on his lilies.

“I still don’t think you should’ve done it,” he pressed.

“Exceptions, Cas. Exceptions.”

“So, I’m going to assume that was Gabriel’s girlfriend. Who I _still_ haven’t had the pleasure to meet,” Balthazar teased, leaned against the counter, while a mocking smile pulled his lips. “Gotta say, she looks interesting.”

“She’s not my girlfriend, Balthy.” The archangel rolled his eyes, taking a bundle of flowers and walking to the back, away from their bickering.

Before completely ignoring them for the day, he looked over his shoulder, and smirked at his brothers.

“Not yet, at least.”

“Whatever you say, Romeo.” Balthazar laughed, as he went back to work as well.

* * *

 

He finally decided to ask you out in the Spring, when the botanical garden he liked to visit was at its peak. So long you’d only hanged around inside his business, sharing short talks and coffees to-go.

Gabriel fumbled with the purple roses and white lilac flowers he tried to arrange for you, too nervous to do it correctly. The foreign feeling he finally identified as butterflies kept growing stronger, to the point he was an awkward mess every time he saw you. Something that absolutely didn’t go unnoticed by his brothers.

He brushed a hand over his hair for the umpteenth time, and tried to keep his hands busy to avoid fidgeting too much with them.

And he waited.

He waited the whole morning, the whole afternoon, and grew disappointed when you didn’t arrived on Friday either. Perhaps it’d been a busy week for you.

But then it was Tuesday again, and you never even walked by the shop. Disappointment turned into worrisome, as he wondered what had happened to you.

His answer would come sooner than later, when you walked in Thursday morning. Gabriel was so distracted by his own thoughts, Balthazar had to be the one to let him know you were there.

“Gabriel,” he muttered, noticing how Castiel walked you towards them, one of his arms over your shoulders and the other one softly caressing you.

“(Y/N),” he greeted you happily, but quickly worried again when sensing your broken aura. “What’s the matter?” He couldn’t help asking, immediately leaving what he was doing to approach you.

There was a redness on your eyes, dark circles under them. Your face was pale, and your jaw clenched. A heavy sob left your lips, keeping you from whatever you were trying to say.

“I… My mom–” Was all you were able to articulate, and it was all Gabriel needed to understand.

“Oh, hell…” He muttered, instinctively taking your hands between his. “Sugar, I’m so sorry.”

You couldn’t help breaking right there, and he couldn’t avoid pulling you into his arms. You’d known each other for almost nine months, your only physical contact being whenever he handed your change back. Finally having you close to him was like a dream, but the way you cried turned the longing moment bitter and painful.

“If I’m honest, a part of me was simply waiting for it. I know she’s happy now, and no longer in pain,” you assured.

You were right, and the three celestial beings knew better than anyone.

When you finally calmed down, you requested a funeral flower arrangement for her, and he promised to make it full of peonies.

Gabriel felt surprised when you actually invited him and his brothers to attend the funeral, considering by then they knew everything about her. They thought of you as a friend, and apparently you did so as well.

The next day they arrived to the cemetery, sharp dressed in black suits. The archangel could sense your pain from a mile away, and his brothers carried the arrangement for he was far too distressed to help.  

He found you as soon as they stepped out of the car, and noticed you in the arms of a man. Said man was slightly taller than him, had dark blonde hair, and big green eyes. A true Adonis pulled out of a cheesy romcom.

His arm was around your waist, and he placed small kisses on top of your head from time to time during the eulogy. Time went incredibly slow as Gabriel watched you with him, berating himself for feeling a pang of jealousy seeping inside him.

When the funeral was over he approached you, and simply shook your hand before giving you his condolences and leaving with his brothers.

The only thing he wished was that he would’ve asked you out sooner.

* * *

 

The wave of heat that came with the Summer allowed the flowers to bloom grand and healthy.

You hadn’t come back to the flower shop, but his mind was still filled with thoughts of you. Gabriel kept remembering the lights and colours of your soul, and how they called to him the moment he saw you.

“You have to seriously let it go, buddy. She was too good for you anyway,” Balthazar said, noticing how he was spacing out again.

“Don’t _buddy_ me, buddy. I’m older than you,” Gabriel growled, as he leaned in the counter, holding his head between his hands.

“Whatever, just cut it out. Your thoughts are annoying,” he retorted, while smiling to the two girls buying carnations. “Why don’t you settle for one of those Casa Erotica girls you used to like? Get yourself some loving.”

The archangel grimaced at his suggestion, and stood straighter. One of the girls searched for his gaze, and smiled widely at him. He simply nodded in response, to which she turned and giggled about it with her friend.

“Or, you could get that one. She looks interested.” He suggested, still interchanging smiles and winks with the other one.

“No thanks,” he muttered bitterly, trying to find something to do as a distraction.

“You can’t keep sulking over her, humans are vastly complicated creatures. Not meant for us,” Castiel suddenly mentioned, arranging flower bouquets for an upcoming wedding.

“Nobody asked you, Columbo,” Gabriel snapped, as he pretended to focus on the inventory.

“But Cas is right, you’re the ancient one amongst us, you should’ve known better.”

“Oh bite me, Gordon Ramsay. If you’d seen what I saw in her, you wouldn’t be telling me this,” he snarled, crossing his arms over his chest, suddenly feeling cornered by his younger brothers. “What is this? An intervention?”

“No, but if what you felt for her was really as big as you claim, why didn’t you acted up on it before?” Castiel asked in a calm voice.

“It doesn’t matter anymore, Cas. She was with someone.” He pursed his lips, and his eyes fell to the floor defeatedly.

“You should also know that when a human soul calls to us that strongly, it’s usually for a reason.” Balthazar pointed out, “she may not be meant to be with him.”

“And how the hell am I supposed to know now? She hasn’t been here in –”

The doorbell rang, causing the three angels to turn their attention towards the entrance. The moment they saw you, Balthazar made a beeline towards the girls, and Castiel suddenly found an seemingly interesting bouquet to stare at.

Gabriel was left by himself, frozen as he saw you approach him with the guy from the funeral walking right behind. He clenched his jaw, his mind running a thousand miles per second as he tried to come up with an excuse to have Castiel deal with you instead.

“Hey, stranger.” You greeted with a smile, fidgeting with the strap of your purse, like the day you met.

“Hi, sugar snap.” He winced, worried your companion wouldn’t appreciate the nicknames he usually called you.

He felt Castiel glancing at the blonde man, a mixture of confusion and deep interest painting over his features. “What brings you here?” Gabriel felt the urge to punch himself for asking.

“Well, my cousin Sam graduates from law school tomorrow, and his brother here -” you held the man’s arm, who grinned at you in response - “wants to embarrass him with some big, bright, sappy, pink flowers. I told him I knew the perfect guy for that”

His mouth hung open at your words, if this guy Sam was your cousin and Adonis was his brother, that meant -

“You’re cousins?” Castiel asked out of nowhere, his blue eyes immediately locking with the man’s bright green ones. “You and him?”

“Uh, yeah. This is Dean, Dean –”

“Winchester, Dean Winchester.” He introduced himself to the dumbfounded angel, shaking his hand for a tad too long. “(Y/N) has told me everything about you, guys. Thank you for giving my aunt a few last smiles with your flowers.” Dean spoke exclusively to Castiel, smiling like an idiot.

“It was a pleasure. I can help you with your brother’s arrangement. Make it as… _embarrassing_ , as you want.” The smile on Castiel’s face was mimicking Dean’s.

“Are you really?” Gabriel questioned, raising a brow at him in amusement.

“Exceptions, Gabriel,” he simply answered, already walking Dean to show him some flowers.

The archangel moved his attention back to you, immediately feeling like an idiot for not figuring out you were relatives. You kept smiling at him, as if waiting for him to break the silence.

You hadn’t seen each other in a couple of weeks, but thankfully, you looked better than last time. Your soul was at peace, and your pain wasn’t as deep as before.

“So, anything _I_ can help _you_ with?” He asked, trying to not lose himself in you again. “Want some corny flowers for your cousin as well?” Gabriel wiggled his brows at you, knowing damn well he could help you embarrass your cousin too.

“Yeah, I… I actually had a small question.” You rocked on your heels, almost nervously.

“Shoot, sweetheart.” He encouraged you with a smirk.

“Am I crazy, or do you like me?”

He was taken aback by your words once more, your bluntness dumbing him down. It was now or never, and he knew it.

“I kept waiting for you to make a move but, you just never did. So, I figured I’d ask,” you rambled, a deep red blush adorning your cheeks. “Unless those flowers you gave me were just you being nice, and now I’m completely making a fool outta –”

“(Y/N),” he interrupted with a soft voice, taking your hand to ground you. “Would you join me in the back?”

“Are you giving me rejection flowers?” You joked, already taking slow steps to where he headed.

Instead of answering, he lead you to where he kept his favorite flowers, still thinking hard about his words. You were instantly attracted to the ones he wanted you to see, it was hard not to notice them.

Several vines came out of the pot, and dangling from  each, was a row of heart-shaped pink flowers. The plant was both beautiful and mesmerizing, he let you observe it in silence for a moment.

“It’s called a  _Bleeding Heart_ , they’re from Europe and Asia. They’re my favorite,” he said.

You turned to him, blushing and anxiously waiting on him to keep talking. “I’ve never seen you sell them,” you noted.

“Because I don’t,” Gabriel quickly stated. He held his hands behind his back, trying to release some tension from his shoulders. “This establishment was left to me by an old friend, he brought that plant from Japan when he was younger, where he met his wife.”

The archangel walked around, pacing between you and the plant. “His wife died of a sickness, and he kept this bleeding heart alive in her memory. When he died, he left it to me.”

He was now close to you, his golden eyes staring deeply into your soul. There was a warmth and a force bringing you together, too hard to ignore when being that close.

“You usually give those when you want to openly confess your feelings, or when you fall in love,” Gabriel explained.

You kept looking at him in silence, and your heart beated so strongly he could hear your pulse in his ears. The silence between you wasn’t tense, or awkward, but it did make him slightly nervous.

“So, it’s yours, if you’ll have it… if you’ll have _me_.” He corrected, holding your hands in his.

You diminished the distance between you, and allowed yourself to wrap your arms around his neck. “Will you kiss me now?”

He didn’t need you to ask him twice, and slowly lowered his head to press his soft lips against yours.

**Author's Note:**

> A few fun facts:
> 
> Purple roses (paired with white lilac flowers) are for someone you’re enchanted with – or fell in love with at first sight.  
> Red tulips symbolize perfect love.  
> Sunflowers represent warmth, happiness, adoration, and longevity.  
> Purple lilac – signify the first emotions of love.  
> Bleeding hearts – Expressing your emotions openly. A deep and passionate love between two people. Feeling compassion and unconditional love for everything in creation. A connection that goes beyond life and death


End file.
